In the Midst of the Storm
by Curly Valkyrie
Summary: A few Specialists are stuck in a precarious situation. What better way to educate yourself than a near-death experience?


It was a doomed mission from the start.

Timmy had his doubts when Codatorta sent them off in the first place, but didn't question the fearsome teacher. He merely agreed and set off to the shipyard with Brandon and Riven, the three of them starting up a ship and flying away within a few minutes.

In the sky, Brandon chuckled. "This'll be a breeze," he commented, earning an eyeroll from the magenta themed Specialist. "Oh, don't be that way, Riven," the playboy cooed, "once this is all over, we can have a little alone time, just you and me."

"Shut up."

"You know you want me."

"Yeah, I want to pound your stupid bitchass face into the Omega."

"Ouch. You wound me."

Timmy sighed. "Please not right now," he begged of the bickering boys. Tuning in to Red Fountain, he spoke into the speaker on the dashboard. "This is Falcon 54, do you copy? Over."

Helia's voice came through clearly. _"Falcon 54, we copy. What can you see? Over."_

Brandon gazed through the windshield. "Mountains, a few trolls. Not much, but there are some strange cloud formations up ahead. I think a we're heading into a storm." A raindrop splatted above them with a loud _smack._ "I take that back: we ARE in a storm. Over."

_"Keep a sharp eye, boys."_ Codatorta spoke, encouraging them. His voice was barely audible above the now pounding rain against the metal ship. _"It's gotta be there somewhere. Over."_

"We'll try, sir. Over," Timmy replied, guiding the ship left. For a while, the trio communicated back and forth over the radio with the two back at home base. Heavy winds bombarded the machine, but they managed to keep her steady.

The moment things started falling apart was with the lightning. There were occasional strikes at first, but as they drew deeper into the storm, it was flashing all around them, almost as if it were daring them to come closer. And closer they came, until it finally decided to stop teasing them.

White hot lightning engulfed the ship. Riven, Timmy, and Brandon jumped back, alarmed. All of the lights flickered out inside, and the soft humming that ensured them the ship was running ceased.

Timmy began to panic. "No, nonononono," he muttered, rushing back to the dashboard. "Communications is fried; I can't get back to Helia!" The ginger pushed multiple buttons, becoming even more agitated when nothing seemed to respond. "Our entire system is jacked!"

"We're going down!" Brandon yelled. The ground was hurtling towards them at an alarming pace, a rushing river their destined landing. Desperately, Timmy tried the steering mechanisms, to no avail.

The ship suddenly glanced off of a mountain side, sending the Specialist cargo tumbling around inside. From there, it seemed as if time proceeded in slow motion; glass shattered around them as the ship hit the water, rocks penetrating the metal hull and allowing the river to flow inside. Air slowly left their lungs as they were submerged in the icy water.

Riven was the first to bring his head above the surface, sputtering and gasping for breath. Brandon soon followed, but…

"Where's Timmy?" Riven shouted, a pit of worry forming in his stomach. Brandon's eyes widened, and he dived under again, reappearing seconds later.

"He's trapped in the ship!" He spat out some water. "I need your help bringing him up."

No further conversation needed, they both ducked under the current. Riven could see the smaller Specialist, his ankle caught in the seatbelt. His body floated listlessly, glasses missing and eyes shut.

The older two wasted no time. Brandon swam to the strap, untangling it from the younger boy's foot, and Riven pulled the unconscious body up out of the ship. Kicking as hard as he could, he rose to the surface with Timmy.

Gasping for air, Riven realized how difficult it was to multitask. Staying afloat on his own was manageable, but with a fifteen-year-old hanging off of his shoulder, it was a struggle to remember how to breathe. Thankfully, he had help.

Brandon brought his head up, shaking water out of his eyes and joining his friend. He slung one of Timmy's arms around his neck and, in tandem with Riven, began swimming towards the shore. It took several minutes, with the current pushing them away from their goal, but at long last, their feet were able to touch the bottom.

Dragging their feet through the mud, they hoisted themselves onto land. Rain still poured from above, pelting their bodies with cold water. However, the lack of resistance from the river was a welcome sensation.

Riven and Brandon dropped their luggage, leaning over the smaller boy. A large cut on his forehead dripped blood, seemingly the cause for his lack of consciousness. There were several scrapes on his face from the shattering glass, and bruising on what was visible on his neck. His arm was twisted at an unnatural angle, as well as his ankle.

Riven patted his face a couple times in an attempt to rouse him, to no avail. Timmy didn't respond, not even to a full-fledged slap. His head merely lolled to the side, some water trickling out of his mouth.

A light switched on in the magenta warrior's brain. Quickly, he turned Timmy to his side, watching as more liquid fell from his mouth and nose. "C'mon, Timster," he muttered. Checking the pulse, Riven cursed. "Shit, I can't feel anything. I can't f-feel…"

Brandon placed a hand on his shoulder, wincing. "Hey, it'll be fine," he soothed, but Riven caught the small, painful break in his voice. He glanced back and immediately saw why: Brandon's left arm was twisted out of its socket. He almost said something, but shut his mouth last minute, setting his priorities straight.

"What do I do?"

"Put your hands on his chest and start pressing down quickly," Brandon instructed. "You need to get his heart beating."

Uncertainly, Riven did as he was told. He heard movement behind him – a crack, then a scream of pain – and Brandon came to join him, taking over the process.

Time passed, rain pounding all around them and still no sign of life from Timmy. Riven kept a wary eye out for trolls while Brandon performed CPR, both of them fearful for their friend's survival.

Suddenly, Riven perked up. He heard a whirring noise reminiscent of the ships at Red Fountain. He turned back to Brandon. "Hold on, I think someone's coming!" His excitement and relief transferred to the brunette Specialist, who didn't pause in his task but smiled faintly.

The sound grew louder, and a strong wind accompanied it. A red ship flew over them and landed in a small clearing between the mountains, barely capable of fitting the large machine. At the same time, Brandon shouted words to warm his heart: "I've got a pulse!"

Riven fell to Timmy's side, propping him up with one arm behind his back and the other under his knees. Secure with the boy in his arms, he stood, carefully jogging over to where four figures stood, Brandon close behind.

Helia met them, guiding them to a mat inside the ship where Riven set the younger Specialist down. Tecna dropped to her knees next to him, face unreadable.

Stella fell all over Brandon. "What happened? Are you okay? Oh, your shoulder!" she cried. She pressed her palm to the torn material of his suit, quickly drawing it away when he gasped in pain. "You poor thing. When I heard that your ship had crashed I-"

Saladin cleared his throat. "I don't mean to interrupt," he began, "but we have more pressing matters to attend to, Miss Stella. If you could find a way to help, perhaps that would take much weight off of these young men's shoulders, don't you think?"

The blonde fairy blushed and nodded. Thinking to herself, she cupped her palms, forming a small psi ball. She blew it into the open area of the ship, warming the shivering boys and drying their skin as they moved through the air.

Tecna moved a hand over Timmy's prone form, a green aura enveloping both of them. She turned to Saladin and Helia, "His arm and left ankle are broken, as well as a few ribs. He has a concussion and is suffering from moderate hypothermia." Drawing her hand back, she folded her legs underneath herself, sitting up as straight as possible.

Riven gawked at her businesslike analysis. Her perfect posture and blank face not only terrified him, but enraged him as well. _How can she be so emotionless when her actual BOYFRIEND almost died? _He clenched his jaw, standing up and walking over to Brandon and Stella, leaving the pinkette to her vigil.

Stella saw his face. "Don't be that way," she warned him softly. "It's how she keeps her head on straight, and Goodness knows we need at least one calm person in here." She entwined her fingers with Brandon's, raising his hand to her lips and pressing a kiss against his knuckles.

Riven still pouted. "You'd think that she'd at least show _some_ concern for him," he muttered, lowering his pitch as well.

Stella glared at him. She nodded at the girl in question, prompting him to look back. "I spend every day with her, and I have never seen her like this," she hissed. "Tecna may seem cold, but don't think for a _second _that she doesn't care."

Indeed, Riven could see the technology fairy trembling, her hand clasping Timmy's. The expression he had taken as dismissal was actually one of carefully disguised pain; the lines on her forehead were subtle, but spoke of her distress. His anger dissipated, leaving concern and shame for assuming.

The blonde sighed dolefully, placing a hand on his shoulder. He shook his head and gazed out of the windshield instead, relieved to see Red Fountain in the distance. Allowing himself to relax, if only slightly, he grinned faintly at Brandon. The green themed Specialist smiled back, and at last, they felt safe.

* * *

**Yoink. I drew inspiration from one of the Winx comics, "Stormy Skies", and decided to make it a bit more intense. Some of it is similar, but the entire plot of the comic was dropped for the sake of this story (hehe). There is a second part, but it has ROMANCE, and it's taking a bit longer to get going. Anywho, hope you enjoyed!**


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